GLASGOW'S main bus operator, First, has increased fares for the second time in less than a year. Some fares - such as an unaccompanied child's all-day ticket - have gone up 25%.

GLASGOW'S main bus operator, First, has increased fares for the second time in less than a year. Some fares - such as an unaccompanied child's all-day ticket - have gone up 25%.

Other tickets, such as a single fare from Scotstoun or Battlefield into the city centre, are up 8%.

Weekly and four-weekly passes have soared by nearly 10% in some cases.

The price of a "value" two-journey or return ticket, valid after 9am, has risen from £2.50 to £2.85, up 14%.

This means that, since August 1 last year, the price of the two-journey ticket has increased 42.5% - from £2 to £2.85.

Last month, First was freed from long-standing undertakings that it would not increase fares by more than the retail price index.

It argued that costs had increased disproportionately with the rest of Britain, with firms north of the border not receiving an increase in fuel duty allowance.

The Competition Commission agreed First Bus was not able to meet the rising costs as a result of the cap, as well as meeting the increased cost of wages, maintenance, insurance and fuel per year in line with the UK average.

The latest rises affect most routes in the Greater Glasgow area and FirstGroup, which recently announced an annual operating profit of £360.1million, said the increases were due to "bus industry costs, including fuel".

But regular bus travellers said they were "angry" at the increase and claimed they were given no warning.

One MSP said the company's behaviour was "disgraceful" and claimed it was creating a transport service "for the elite".

Children's tickets were among the worst hit. A one-week FirstCard for them has risen from £5.50 to £6.25.

The pricing policy is in sharp contrast to other UK cities.

In Edinburgh, a standard £1.10 single fare on Lothian Buses will take passengers anywhere in the city.

On London Buses all those aged 16 and under travel free. By using an electronic Oyster card, a bus journey costs just 90p in the UK's capital.

A First spokesman released a statement detailing the reasons for what the company called the "fare revision".

It said: "Our main single fares will rise by just 10p after many years whereby bus fares in Glasgow have risen at a level below increases in bus industry costs, including fuel.

"For regular travellers some fares will remain unchanged, while our popular FirstWeek unlimited weekly season ticket will rise to £12.50 after some 20 months when this price has not changed.

"Our popular FirstCard range of fares remains excellent value, offering travel from around £1 a day."

Fuel costs have rocketed since the start of the year, with unleaded petrol up on average nearly 9.2p per litre from 103.0p and diesel up 15.7p from 107.9p - an increase of nearly 15%.

What the paying customer thinks
Joan Wood, 49, NHS clerical officer from Clarkston: "I only noticed the fares went up today. My train fare went up from £1.55 to £1.65 and now my bus has gone from £1.40 to £1.50. I'll pay £3 a day for earning £120 a week."	Jason Hamilton, 17, health worker from Barlornock: "It's the only way to get to work. You just have to find the money. This increase is just to make the company more money."	Mark Swan, 19, casino worker from South Side: "It's a bit of a rip off. I use the bus every day - it was £12.50 for a week and now it's £13.50. The bus company gets enough anyway. I still have to use the bus so there's nothing I can do."	Lucy Hutchison, 22, actress from Shawlands: "They said the price was now £1.30 and I only had £1.20 - they let me on anyway. I was sure it just went up to £1.20 recently. People still need the bus, so the company can charge what they like."

But Dr John McCormick, chairman of the Scottish Association for Public Transport, described the scale of the latest rise in fares as "appalling".

He added: "There should have been an opportunity for buses to get more traffic from car users but not if they put up fares as steeply as this.

"It is incredible that First is jacking up prices like this when it has made such a big profit.

"First will say it's caused by fuel costs and the number of pensioners who are travelling free with concessionary cards, but the Government is having to cough up more than 70% of the full fare for each person who travels free.

"Once we see the details of the increases then I could well be getting in touch with the company."

Glasgow MSP Sandra White said she "condemned" the price rise.

She added: "It is the people who can least afford it who will be disadvantaged by this."

Ms White said constituents constantly complained to her about the service First provides.

She said: "There is a lack of service after 6pm. It seems to flood the market between 9am and 4pm.

"It has a cheek putting prices up. We are trying to encourage people to use public transport and this is not the way to do it."

How Glasgow matches up to other cities

EDINBURGH: Earlier this year, Lothian Buses was awarded the title of UK Bus Operator of the Year, and it continues to offer one of the best deals in the country.

The public firm, whose major shareholder is the City of Edinburgh Council, will take an adult any distance through the city for just £1.10 for single fare, while a child tickets costs 60p.

An adult day-ticket costs £2.50 - compared to £3.20 in Glasgow.

However, all-week fares are similar to Glasgow. A one-week adult pass throughout the city costs £13 in the capital compared to £12.50 in Glasgow. A four-week pass costs £37 in Edinburgh, but £40 in Glasgow. An annual ticket costs £444 in Edinburgh and £500 in Glasgow.

LONDON: All children aged 16 and under travel free on London Buses. Transport for London (TfL) has contracts with private bus operators - including First Group - but the city sets the fares, keeping a single cash fare of £2.

But using electronic Oyster cards - where you can top up the money on the card for use on buses and the underground - a bus journey costs just 90p.

TfL set a cap of £3 to use the bus network in a 24-hour period and cut its Oyster fare by 10% in September to 90p and froze costs in January.

A Tfl spokesman said: "We were able to make the cut due to the health of the London economy and higher passenger numbers."